Pneumatic shoe-press.



J. H. GAMMETER.

PNEUMATIC SHOE PRESS.

APPLICATI'ON FILED SEPT. r. 1912 1 ,283,14;4 Patented Oct. 29, 1918asnznssuzn INVENTOR.

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A T'TORNEY' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. GAMMETER, OF AKRON. OHIO. ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GUODRICHCOMPANY. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SHOE-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN R. GAMMETER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Shoe Presses,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for consolidating the elements ofa rubber boot or shoe, prior to vulcanization, by means of compressedair or other suitable fluid under pressure. One of my objects is toprovide improved means for supporting the lasted shoe in operativepositionwithin the press chamber, and for packing the last or separatingits vent outlet from the interior of said chamber. A further object isto enable the shoe press to be readily adjusted to accommodate shoes ofdifferent sizes.

Preferably, also. I equip the press chamber with a relief-valvecontrolled by the locking and unlocking movement of the cover. so thatair pressure cannot be accumulated in said chamber until the cover islocked.

Of the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a vertical section of a pneumatic shoe press constructedaccording to mv invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line of Fig. '1. omitting the shoe and last.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing the control valve in section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. l, omitting some ofthe lower parts.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus partly broken away to expose theinterior, with a shoe therein.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a vented last and a shoe thereon of atype adapted to be handled in the shoe press.

In the drawings, 10 is a pot or receptacle composed of a body casting11, a cylinder 12 connected by bolts 13 to the lower end of said body.casting, the joint being packed by a soft ring 14, and a cover 15, saidcover being swiveled at 16 on a bracket 17 hinged to the body casting at18.' The edge of the cover is packed by a soft ring 19 seated in agroove in the body casting, and is interlocked with the body casting bylocking means of the breech-block type, consisting of spaced projections20, 21 on the cover and body casting respectively. 22 is a handle forturning the cover on its swivel joint to lock and unlock it.

Compressed air is admitted to and 14%. charged from the press chamber 33in Ha receptacle 10, under control of a ping val\ r 2-1, to whose casingconneclcd a com pressed-air supply pipe and a pipe i ending to thechamber :53. there being :1 ballie plate 27 over the nmnlh of pipe 3 2in said chamber to prevent the cm rent, of win pressed air fromimpinging at. full vclocitv upon tl1e lasted shoe. The ra ing of llnplug valve has a dischargiopening 25 llm ing to the atmosphere. The port-25: 2' 1 valve is shown in ils adiinlitnig position in Fig. 3 and inits discharge ln'imll l ll in Fig. l.

3 is an upwardly-closing cluick-valvc mounted on the cover 1 andcontrolling a passage 31 which leads from chamber :23 to the atmosphere,the stem 3; of said valve. when the cover is unlocked, coming under aplate 33 on the bracket 17 which is fixed at such a height that thevalve 30 cannot close when under the plate. the object being to preventthe accumulation of pressure in chamber if the workman should carelesslyturn on' the comprcssiul air or leave it on when the cover'1 is notfully locked. )Yhen said cover is turned to bring the pro ections 20under the projections 21, valve stem 32 moves out from under the plate33 and the valve will automatically close when the air is turned on. henchamber 23 is vented to theatmosphere. the valve 30 tends to drop bygravity, or. if it should stick, it may be positively opened by theaction of a cam surface 34, on plate 33, upon the end of the valve-stemas the cover is rotated to unlock it.

35 is a conoidal cup-shaped last-support substantially elliptical in endor plan view as seen in Fig. 2. to correspond with the shape of the topor legend of the last. said support having a liner or packing member 36composed of vulcanized soft rubber to effect the sealing of the interiorof chamber 23 by means of the end of the last. The flaring or conoidalshape of this support and its liner, not only forms a proper sealingjoint by reason of its shape, but also allows lasts of different sizesto be accommodated. Fig. 1 showing in full lines a small shoe and last,and in brokendirrt s a large one. The

last-support is also adjustable up and down IUD for this purpose, and inorder to keep a fluid-tight joint with the casing its periphery isformed as a piston 37 sliding in the cylinder 12 and provided with apacking ring 38. To effect the adjustment, the stem 39 of thelast-support is formed with a lefthand thread screwing in the end wallof a nut 40 which has a right-hand screw-threaded connection 40 with theexterior of the cylinder wall, thus giving a quick motion when nut 40 isturned by means of a handwheel 41 formed thereon. An adjustablescrew-stop 42 in the end wall of the nut limits the relative retractingmovement of the parts and prevents the last-support 35 from being drawnentirely out of the cylinder 19. Broken lines in Fig. l. represent theposition of said support for a large last. At diametrically oppositepoints on the last support 35 are two upwardlyprrr jecting guidepins 43working through lugs H on the body casting ll to prevent the lastsupport from turning.

4-3 is a spring plate fixed at its upper end it and forming a heel orback rest for the lasted shoe, and 47 is an adjustable screw stop to fixthe position of said back rest for different sized shoes. The plate 45is slightly concave as indicated in Fig. 1 to conform to the back of theshoe. It will be noted that the axis of the cylinder 12 and the lastsupport 35 is somewhat inclined from the vertical in an upward andrearward direction, so that the back of the lasted shoe tends to rest bygravity upon the plate 45, while the top of the inverted last issupported and irictionally retained by the soft-rubber liner 36, anarrangement which allows the lasted shOe to be verv quickly inserted inand removed from its operative position in the press. 48 is a last whichis referably made hollow, of cast metal sue as aluminum alloy, andformed in the end or top Wall thereof with air-discharge openings 49connecting its in terior with the atn'iosphere through a passage 50formed in the stem of the last-support 35. Vent-holes 51 are also formedin the wall of the last at suitable points, and particularly at the soleand ankle, to permit the escape of air from between the shoe and lastinto the interior of the latter and thence to the outer atmosphere aspressure is exerted u on the exterior of the shoe. 52, 52 are g azedopenings in the cover 15 for viewing the interior of chamber 23 whileunder pressure. I

An apparatus of this type is particularly ada ted for operating uponarctics or other rub er shoes with high flexible tops whieh are readilysealed against the surface of the last by the air pressure, Fig. 6showing such a shoe with rubber (cloth lined) upper 53 and sole54 andrubberized clotfi'top 55.

In operation, the cover 15 being unlocked and swung back on its hinge 18and the last sup iort 35 and back rest 45 being adjusted to t. ie properpositions for the particular size of shoe, a last 48 with a shoe thereonis placed in chamber 23 in inverted position, with the top of the lastresting in the conoidal cupshaped packing member 35, and the hack of theheel resting against the plate 45. Cover 15 is then closed and lockedand the compressed air turned into chamber 23, its effect being to jamthe last more tightly into the packing member 86 and also to press theshoe tightly against the surface of the last, the air between the shoeand the last being expelled through the vent holes 51 and the elementsof the shoe being consolidated by the difference between the pressure ofthe atmosphere on the inside of the last and the external pressure inchamber 23. The operation is very quickly performed and sh whenromplcted the chamber is opened, the lasted shoe removed and another oneinserted. Vulcanizing is performed in the usual way and the result is amore perfect adhesion of the elements of the shoe and a greaterdurability in service by reason of the pneumatic pressure. employed.

1. In a rubber-shoe press, the combination of a chamber for inclosing itlasted shoe, a5 a last having opcnin s for the escape of air frombetween its sur ace and the lasted shoe thereon and a discharge openingin the top or leg-cud wall of the last, means for supplying pressurefluid to the interior of said Joe t'llfllilbtl' to press said shoeagainst: the last, and an annular last-support including a soft packingnu-inbcr surrounding an opening to the atmosphere and forming anend-abutting surface for said top or leg-end Wall of the last to sealsaid chamber.

2. In a rubber-shoe press, the combina- ,tion of a pressure chamberhaving coinpressed ai r supplying and discharging mean and a support atthe bottom of said chamber for the top of an inverted vented last, saidsupport including an annular conoidal last-packing member surrounding anairopening.

1 In a rubber-shoe press, the C(LdblnHtlOH of a press chamber havingCOIl'lt-IOSSGCl-Rll' supplying and discharging means, and alast-supportat the bottom of said chamber having a substantiall centralopening to the atmosphere, and a conoidal soft-rubber liner 12osurrounding said opening and adapted to support and pack the end of aninverted vented last.

4. In a rub-beushoe press, the combination of a press chamber havingcompressed-air supplying and discharging means, and an annularlast-supporting and packin member located at the bottom of said 0 amberand surrounding a vent-outlet opening, said memberbeing adjustable in anup-and=down eeann of a comprossednir chamber and e in the bottom of saidchamber adjustable in an up-and-down direction and. hearing an annularlast-packing and supporting member surrounding a vent-opening to theatmos where.

7. In a rubber-shoe press, the mmbinetion of a compressed-air chamberhaving 2 cylinder at its lower end, and a luetrsupport having a conoidalannular last-packing liner surroundin a, vent-opening to the atmosphere,saidlast-eupport being formeitl with it piston working in said cylinder.

8. In a rubber-shoe press,.rthe cmnlainntimi of a compressed-air chamberhaving :1 rearwiirdly and upwardly inclined qylmrh-r at the l-ottomthereof, a piston udji axially in said cylinder, and. a lHHlfilIPP-Mhcurried hi said piston and having an unnulur lnst'puchmg membersurrounding :1 rentopening to the atmosphere.

9. In ii rnhhi-r-shoe press, the oi ii c :mpr swi-air chamber liming 2Lcylinder at its lower end, u out screwing on the exterior of saidcylinder, a piston in said rylinder having a stem formed with an airentpoeengre and provided with it si; v thread connection to mid nut ofopposite pitch to that of {he nut and cylinihir thread, means to preventiid piston from turning, and an aiu'nilnr in. i-supporting' and packingmember on said piston surrounding the vent passage.

10. In rubber-shoe press, the combine-- tion of ii compressed-airchamber having e histwenting outlet in its bottom wall, an annularpecking member surrounding said outlet and adapted to support theinverted last in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, and aheel back-rest for the lasted 5 shoe.

11. In a rubber-shoe press, the combination of a compressed-air chamberhaving a last-renting opening in its bottom Wall, means for supportingthe inverted last in a 5 reiirmirdly and upwardl inclined direclion insaid chamber, sai means including e hietpucking andsunnortin member surroundin said opening and a justable in en up-aml-down direction, and a.transversely 6 iu ustuhle heel back-rest.

12. In :I iubber-shoe press, the combina- Lion of a compressed airchamber, means for supporting and packins a vented last in an invertedupwardly and rearwardly inclined i din 'lion in said chamber, a springpluto {on rag ii heel back-rest and fixed at its llppri end, and anexternall -accessible screw for varying the angle 0 'said plate.

1? ln u rubber-shoe press, the comhinw lira-1 of ii compressed-airchamber having (-o' i provided with locking and unlocking. memo meansfor supplying compressed 'ziir to owl discharging it from said chmnbcr.meiur for supporting and packing a rented his-t in mid chamber, andmeans controlled l l looking and unlockin' of the cover for prvi'eniingthe accumulation of air pro euro in aid rliamber when the cover liil'locked.

1-1, in ii rubber-shoe press, the Conilnnn tion of u compressed-airchamber having n cover rotatable in its own plane to lock mm unlo-ui;the some, said cover having :1 re lief opt-ping to the atmosphere, anout wards; rinsing automatic clicclc-i'alve con trolling; sax-l openingand having a vulv stem. z-sii abutment with which said vole, stem ulincdbv the unlockinn movement of rhit we: to prevent the valve from closing. and means for supporting and packing a wired last in said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sit my hand this 6 day ofSeptember, 1917.

.JOHN R. GAMMETER.

